Police seek identity of human remains

The Navajo Nation Police are investigating remains found at two sites on the reservation in recent days.

The first was found June 17 about 35 yards west of milepost 396 on U.S. 163 near Kayenta.

A police recovery team had been working in the area on a different case when they came upon a body, which has not been identified. The police had no details as to whether the body was male or female or how recent the death was.

The case has been referred to the Criminal Investigations Department.

CID is also working on another unidentified body in the Kayenta area, found the day before by Carlos Salt, 48.

Salt reported finding what appeared to be a human skull in his front yard when he went outside about 8:53 a.m. He told police that his dogs may have brought it back from some other place.

A preliminary investigation confirmed that the skull was human and that it was of recent origin so police began a search of the area to see if they could come up with any other human remains. That search so far has been unsuccessful.

advertisements

Leupp pair injured in fight

A brotherly fight turned violent June 18 in Leupp, Ariz.

Police said Eric Long, 22, of Leupp, got into an argument with his brother, Derrick Long, 29, and his girlfriend, Kristy Cody, 29, both of Leupp.

Eric Long eventually got a baseball bat and hit Cody in the forehead and hit his brother three times, twice in the head and once on the left arm, the police report said.

The victims were transported to the Little Colorado Medical Center in Winslow, Ariz., for treatment.

Police said that by the time they reached the site, Eric Long was no longer there so an arrest was not made at that time.

Fire destroys home

A doublewide mobile home on the Old Zuni Road near Gallup was destroyed by fire June 17.

Frank Yazzie, 63, and Rex Yazzie, 41, who lived in the trailer, said they left early that morning to go to Gallup to buy gasoline and to check their mail.

When they returned, they found their trailer totally engulfed in flames.

An investigation revealed a faulty electric outlet in the living room that was hooked up to the entertainment center.

No injuries were reported.

Crownpoint men suffer stab wounds

Police are investigating a stabbing incident that was reported June 19 in the Crownpoint area.

Police first realized that there was a stabbing when staff at the Crownpoint Indian Health Service hospital called and reported that two men with stab wounds had walked into the emergency room about 2:32 p.m.

The victims were identified as Britton Cayatineto, 20, and Mervin Cayatineto, 24, both of Crownpoint.

When police got to the hospital and tried to interview the two, they reported having problems doing so because the two were "vague and evasive" about how they got the stab wounds. Both were under the influence of alcohol, police reported.

Britton Cayatineto, who had a puncture wound to his abdomen, was later flown to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque. Merwin Cayatineto received five puncture wounds to his right forearm and one to his left wrist. He was treated locally.

The Criminal Investigations Department is continuing to investigate.

Rollover fatal to Many Farms man

A one-vehicle rollover on June 20 resulted in the death of a Many Farms, Ariz., man.

The victim was identified as Tilford Toby Turner, 35.

The police report doesn't give a reason for the accident. All it says is that when police arrived about 9:48 a.m., they found Turner's body about 30 feet from the vehicle. He had no pulse, police said.

Alcohol involved in attack

Three men received injuries in an incident that occurred June 18 near Leupp, Ariz.

Navajo police first came upon Cleveland Curtis, age and address unknown, when his truck was stopped on Navajo Route 15 near Leupp at about 4:20 a.m. Curtis, who was in the driver's seat, had injuries to his ears and head.

Police decided to have him transported to Winslow, Ariz., for medical care. But as they were working on this case, they learned that Ace Yazzie, age and address unknown, was also being transported to the same hospital by family members. His injuries, which were not detailed, came from the same incident, police were told.

A little later, Zachariah Curley, age and address unknown, also called police and said he had been hit on the head and was losing consciousness. EMTs were sent out to get him.

An investigation revealed that Garrett Nelson, age and address unknown, and Paula Curtis, no age or address, had provided liquor to the three men.

Shortly thereafter, they began arguing and Nelson, "fueled by liquor and anger," reportedly attacked all three men with a tire iron, police reported.

Yazzie was flown to "Valley Hospital" with severe head trauma, the police report said. The other two were treated and released from Winslow Memorial Hospital.

Whiteriver pedophile gets 25 years

PHOENIX - Derek Michael Dewey, 43, of Whiteriver, Ariz., was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for attempted sexual abuse of a minor in Whiteriver. Dewey pleaded guilty to the charge March 15, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

On Aug. 6, 2009, Dewey provided alcohol to the victim and then attempted a sexual assault. The victim had to physically fight off Dewey, who was holding a knife during the incident.

In December 1997, Dewey was convicted of abusive sexual contact with a minor.

The investigation was conducted by the BIA.

Third Gishie brother sentenced in fatal Ganado beating (sub)

PHOENIX - Truman D. Gishie, 21, of Ganado, Ariz., was sentenced to six years in federal prison for voluntary manslaughter in the beating death of Dwayne Henderson of Ganado. Truman D. Gishie is the last of three brothers to be sentenced in the crime, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

On Nov. 25, 2009, brothers Gerrick J. and Martinez J. Gishie were sentenced to seven and a half and eight years in federal prison respectively. Truman D. Gishie, the youngest of the three brothers, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter on Feb. 25.

The sentences grew out of a June 29, 2008, altercation between Martinez J. Gishie and the victim. Gishie later rounded up three of his brothers, including Gerrick J. and Truman D. Gishie. They went to Henderson's home, where the four brothers pulled the victim out of his house and proceeded to assault him, resulting in his death.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI.

10 charged in Tohono O'odham drug bust (sub)

TUCSON - Ten suspects were indicted by a federal grand jury this week on multiple drug trafficking charges following a major sting operation centered on the Tohono O'odham Nation, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

They were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Three of the suspects also were charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and two were charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana.

Several of the alleged drug trafficking offenses occurred near public schools and playgrounds.

The charges follow a five-month investigation led by the Tohono O'odham Nation Police Department's anti-violence unit and the BIA narcotics unit into a network of tribal members involved in the cocaine trade centered in Sells, Ariz.

In the course of the investigation, which began in December 2009, undercover agents made 39 separate buys totaling over $10,000, purchasing over 250 grams of cocaine from various targets of the investigation.

On May 15, Tohono O'odham Police led a multi-jurisdictional task force in a pre-dawn sweep, arresting nine suspects on federal charges and searching seven locations. One suspect remains at large. Police seized weapons, including an assault rifle, vehicles, and large quantities of cash, cocaine, ecstasy, and marijuana.

The police believe the network is linked to gangs activity on the reservation, where they've identified 28 separate criminal street gangs, many of whom are involved in the drug trade.

Charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine or marijuana carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison if convicted, which is doubled to 40 years for those offenses occurring within 1,000 feet of schools or playgrounds. Possession of a weapon during a drug trafficking offense carries a mandatory consecutive penalty of between five years and life in prison.

The investigation was conducted by the Tohono O'odham Police Department and the BIA Division of Drug Enforcement, with assistance from the FBI, ATF, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety Southern Regional Crime Laboratory.